In the Doghouse - Chapter 56
Startling the emperor with her response, Courtney watched as he tilted his head, seemingly trying to interpret her meaning. In that moment, she couldn’t help but notice how much Richard resembled his father in appearance. But now was certainly not the time to dwell on such thoughts. It was clear that there had been a serious misunderstanding. Courtney hurried to clarify.
“Th-there hasn’t been anything of the sort that you’re concerned about. Of course, I understand your expectations, and I intend to put all my effort into fulfilling them in the future, but as of now…”
The idea of being pregnant from premarital relations—scandalous enough to make any respectable noblewoman faint. Even if the Emperor didn’t mind, Courtney couldn’t allow such a falsehood to persist.
However, instead of being relieved by her explanation, the Emperor frowned in disappointment.
“So you’re saying… you haven’t conceived yet?”
Tensing up, Courtney nodded nervously, her shoulders shrinking as she saw the clear anger forming on the Emperor’s face.
Sure, the Emperor might be eagerly awaiting an imperial heir, but scolding his new daughter-in-law for not being pregnant just four days after the wedding? She could already see the difficult life ahead of her as a member of the royal family.
But the target of the Emperor’s wrath was not Courtney.
“Richard! That little sh—!”
* * *
When the Crown Princess returned from the main palace, her face flushed with anger, the handmaids were shocked. And then, when Richard came running after her, she promptly chased him off, saying sharply,
“I don’t want to see you, so get lost!”
The handmaids whispered anxiously among themselves, but nothing they said reached Courtney’s furious ears.
How could he have made up such an outrageous lie? She couldn’t fathom why Richard would fabricate such a shameless story. Was it to prevent her from fulfilling her role as the lady of the imperial family? Perhaps that’s why no one had given her any responsibilities.
Maybe he thought he was doing her a favor, but Courtney wasn’t the least bit grateful. There were difficult tasks in life that still had to be done. After all the hardships she had endured, she couldn’t stand the idea of being seen as someone useless.
Shaking her head, she sternly instructed the handmaids.
“If the Crown Prince comes by again, tell him I said he should get lost.”
It was an unreasonable command, but no one dared to argue. The sight of the enraged Crown Princess was far too terrifying.
And no one knew that better than Richard. He could endure any punishment, even welcome it, but being hated or abandoned by her? That frightened him. He repeatedly sent messengers to ask for an audience with her, but he couldn’t bring himself to visit in person.
As the palace servants witnessed his behavior, they began to realize who really held power in the imperial palace. They gossiped gleefully as they went about their tasks, saying that the Crown Prince, who once sat above even the Emperor, was completely powerless when it came to the Crown Princess.
But Courtney didn’t have time to worry about such a wicked liar. Starting the very next day, the Emperor’s attendants began lining up at her office, bringing her task after task. The time had come for her to relieve them from their long period of overwork. Every day, they presented her with new responsibilities as the newly established lady of the imperial palace.
“Here is a list of the regular banquets and festivals. Please review the expenditures from the past ten years and allocate next year’s budget accordingly.”
“I… Yes.”
“For the gifts from allied nations, you’ll need to send return gifts timed with their national holidays. The size should match what was received, but be mindful of each nation’s culture to avoid offending anyone. Please refer to these documents.”
“Of course…”
Just like the previous week, today her desk was piled high with documents and ledgers. Sorting through them alone would take the better part of the day.
After the Empress passed away, despite the nobles’ insistence, the Emperor had never remarried, too in love with his wife, who had passed too soon. He also feared that any half-siblings could potentially threaten the Crown Prince’s position in the future. So, for years, he had worked tirelessly to fill the void left by the Empress. And now his ungrateful son had stabbed him in the back—making up lies just to prevent his wife from taking on her duties.
Richard had been so busy because he had been handling not only his responsibilities but hers as well.
If only Richard had excluded her from that ridiculous story. Sighing deeply, Courtney, now the wife of a foolish Crown Prince, let out a long breath. Sensing her frustration, Hansen quickly gathered up the pile of documents.
“I’ll sort these for you, Your Highness.”
“Thank you…”
Her attempts to maintain a dignified tone had left her throat sore. She lifted her teacup and gulped down the now-cold tea.
As Hansen stepped back, Madam Berricker approached with a silver tray piled with envelopes, not desserts.
“These are the invitations that have arrived today.”
Too tired to respond, Courtney simply nodded. Tea parties, reading sessions, concerts—every social event in the capital was now sending invitations to the Crown Princess.
Her mother would have squealed with joy at such an influx of invitations, but to Courtney, it was nothing more than additional work to deal with. Even if she no longer had to worry about being mocked as she once was, she still felt uneasy about attending.
But avoiding these events wasn’t an option either. She needed to forge connections and build her own network.
